Teamwork
by T'Liana
Summary: Enterprise School for the Gifted AU. On Grade 7 camp the students are separated into groups of 7 and compete against an opposing team in different activities. For Group 1 this means working with people they don't necessarily get along with. Teamwork? They don't know the meaning of the word. Yet.
1. The Groups

This is the second in a series of Enterprise School for the Gifted AU's. I've already got one up, _The Enterprise Club_, and this is another one that takes place in this universe, but is a completely different story. Same characters, same setting, but different stories: that kind of thing.

Oh, and it's a kidfic too. And Maranatha Recreation Camp is a real place, I went there on my Grade 6 camp, but it's in Australia. It rained the whole time I was there... Hopefully the _Enterprise _crew will have a better experience!

o.O.o

**Chapter 1 – The Groups**

Two white buses with 'Enterprise School for the Gifted' stamped on the sides pulled up outside the Maranatha Recreation Camp, the doors opening to reveal a gaggle of excited children. Almost one hundred of them tumbled out, milling around the buses to collect their bags from the lower compartments. Once they had their bags they gathered at the front doors of the Camp and waited impatiently for their cabin assignments.

The teacher in charge, Alexander Marcus, stepped forward, calling for quiet. It took a few goes but the children eventually quietened down. "Welcome to Maranatha Recreation Camp! Now before we go into the cabins I've been asked to read out a list of rules and instructions you have to follow."

"Lame!" a kid shouted. They sniggered.

Marcus raised a hand for silence. "You are to stay with a teacher at all times and never leave your activities unaccompanied. Your cabin are separated by gender and located at opposite ends of the Camp; boys are not allowed in the girls' cabins and girls aren't allowed in boys' cabins. There will be no damaging of the property or else you'll pay for it." He looked at the fresh young faces in front of him. "If you can manage this, I'm sure we'll have a good time."

He allowed another teacher to take over, Christopher Pike. Pike cleared his throat. "I'll assign you to your cabins now and give you thirty minutes to unpack before coming to the dining hall and having morning tea. We'll be separating you into your activity groups then."

Pike rapidly called out the cabin numbers, their location and the students in each cabin. The children dispersed quickly, lugging their bags behind them.

A slim, blonde-haired, eleven-year-old boy dumped his bag on one of the top bunks in his cabin. It was four people per cabin and James Kirk was one of the four. He unzipped his bag and pulled out a sheet, wrapping it around the uncomfortable-looking mattress and lying his sleeping bag and pillow over the top. His cabin-mates entered just as he finished and he grinned at them.

First was Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, the grumpy twelve-year-old who was Jim's best friend. He had pale skin, messy black hair and a disgruntled expression on his face. Bones came to San Francisco from Georgia because his dad had a job opportunity, and the boy had been Jim's friend almost straight away. Of all of the Grade 7's, he was probably the one that was the least excited about school Camp.

Behind him was another friend, Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott. He came to San Francisco from Scotland when he was young, but had still maintained his Scottish brogue. Another twelve-year-old, he sported another pale complexion but his hair was flaming red, complimented by a wide smile and cheery manner. While Bones just had his birthday early in the year, Scotty had actually been kept down a grade because his marks in literacy were so poor. He was great at numeracy, but his literacy needed some work. Not that he was stupid; far from it; he was just mathematically-inclined.

Lastly was Keenser Roylan, a San Francisco local and a friend of Scotty's that had become a friend of Jim and Bones. He was eleven, like Jim, and was probably the smallest boy in the whole grade with dark skin, jet-black hair and eyes so brown they were almost black. Keenser didn't really talk much, listening most of the time, but he was nice enough.

The four boys stared at each other in delight. "Bones, Scotty, Keenser," Jim chuckled. "Welcome to my humble abode. It's good to have you!"

"Don't get all mushy on me," Bones snapped. "We've got two nights in this hellhole, away from my comfy mattress and good coffee."

"Well I'm away from my Xbox," Jim said mournfully. He pulled a sulky face. "My parents threatened to take it away if I complained."

"They're here aren't they?" Scotty asked, setting up his sleeping area above Keenser's.

"Yeah, mum and dad volunteered to lead a group."

"My dad did!" Bones cried in annoyance. "I'm so annoyed!"

"I heard tha' Lucille's parents came too," Scotty said thoughtfully, fluffing his pillow, "and also tha' tall kid with glasses… wha' his name?"

"Spock, I think."

"Aye, tha' sounds right. His mam and pap came." He snickered. "I don' pity ye."

Jim glared and poked around the cabin, delighted to find a small bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower tucked in the corner. At least they didn't have to use communal bathrooms with the rest of the boys. It made shower schedules so much more convenient.

Bones reclined on his bunk underneath Jim's and groaned. "Man, we're gonna have to eat Camp Food too! They'll probably have mashed potato but it'll be the gross powdered stuff. And remember last year's Camp? Those pancakes tasted like _metal_. It was foul! And they won't have coffee for us either, only the adults, because we're 'too young for such nonsense'. It's stupid." He pulled a sulky face and crossed his arms. Jim fought a giggle and Scotty ignored the grumpy boy, taking his toiletries into the bathroom and dumping them on the sink.

"Do you have anything that you _don't_ complain about?" Jim asked exasperatedly. "You whine about everything."

"That's because there's something to whine about," Bones snapped back. "Even you complained about the pancakes last year."

Jim rolled his eyes. "I will admit they were gross. I'll leave you ladies to your fun."

"Where are you going?"

"The dining hall," Jim said from the doorway. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts and exited the cabin, jumping down the veranda steps and onto the leaf-covered concrete path. The boy's cabins were in a circle, the concrete path connecting them all and leading to all the other buildings. In the centre of the path was a murky green pond with a wooden bridge going over the top, surrounded by native trees and bushes.

The Camp grounds were situated right next to a massive lake, the Camp itself in the midst of bush and scrub, completely cut off from civilisation. Jim didn't know why they had to spend two nights in hellholes like this, but it was a requirement of the school. He'd much rather stay home and play on his Xbox.

Hands in his pockets, he peered into the cabin beside his, nothing three familiar heads of black hair. One was John 'Khan' Harrison, a pale-skinned, serious boy who was rather nasty at times and hated Jim's guts. Another was Nero Narada, a boy with olive skin and military-style, close-cropped black hair who also hated Jim's guts. The third was the grades resident nerd, Spock Grayson, with his black bowl cut and thick-rimmed glasses, his face in a constant state of nervousness. Of the three, Spock was probably the one that Jim hated the least. Khan and Nero were devils in his eyes.

Through the open door, Jim could see Khan and Nero arguing over who got the top bunk and who go the bottom. Khan towered over Nero, but Nero made up for the height difference with his ego. Both boys were shouting and stamping their feet, which made Jim grin. He spotted Spock sitting cross-legged on his bed, eyes downcast and looking every bit as awkward as the fourth occupant (whose name Jim didn't remember… it might have been Olson).

Grinning at the arguing Khan and Nero, Jim passed by their cabin and, whistling gaily, looked into the next open door he saw. The last cabin in the circle was quiet, its three occupants unpacking quickly so they could get to the dining hall. Nero's twin brother, Ayel, was there, the malice of his brother not present in him. He was talking quietly with Pavel Chekov, the grades resident genius. Pavel was ten-years-old, only slightly taller than Keenser with brown curly hair, having been pushed up a year when he transferred from Russia. The third boy was Hikaru Sulu, a Japanese-American fencing prodigy who often came to blows with Khan and Nero (he was just gallant like that).

With no other open doors to spy through, Jim followed the signs that would lead him to the dining hall, humming softly to one of the 80's songs his parents loved to listen to. He kicked a stray rock, rustling a pile of dry leaves, and stared up at the sky. What a beautiful blue. Hopefully it was a good sign that the Camp would be good.

He finally arrived at the dining hall and leant against the wall outside, tapping the ground with his dark-blue converse. His ears perked up as girls' voices floated over to him. Four girls approached, walking close together, and he smoothed his hair down. He'd be fine, just as long as it wasn't-

He cursed and looked away. At the front of the group was Nyota Uhura, the one girl in the grade who didn't like him. She had African roots and was really pretty with cappuccino skin, long lashes and luscious black hair that fell to her waist.

On either side of her were Gaila Orion and Carol Marcus. Gaila had briefly gone out with Jim in third grade but still had a massive crush on him. Like Nyota, she was pretty with red hair and a wide smile, and her favourite colour was green (as advertised by the green jacket and joggers she wore). Carol was from England and sported the trademark pale skin and light hair. Her father was also Alexander Marcus, the teacher in charge of the Camp this year. Jim reasoned that she got her looks from her mother because she looked nothing like her father. Straggling behind them with a book in her nose was Christine Chapel, the quiet one who looked surprisingly mature for an eleven-year-old with short blonde hair and arched eyebrows.

The girls approached and Nyota fixed him with a look of distaste. "Well Kirk, it's nice to see you." Gaila was staring at the floor and blushing. "Where's your posse?"

"Back in the cabin," Jim shrugged. "They're slow pokes."

Nyota snorted and the girls crossed to the other side of the building, sitting with their backs pointedly facing in his direction. Jim shrugged again and leant against the wall casually. His eyes widened as two more familiar people approached.

"Hey sweetie," Winona cooed. "Are you enjoying Camp so far?" She tried to hug him but he squirmed away.

His father, George, snickered. "Not in public honey. He's too proud for that."

Jim flushed. "You got that right. Mum, I can't say if I _am _enjoying Camp or not because we just got here."

Winona chuckled. "I'll expect an answer at dinner. Who's in your cabin?"

"Bones, Scotty and Keenser," he replied quickly. Two more adults joined them.

"Jimmy, this is Sarek and Amanda Grayson. They're-"

"Spock's parents, I know." Jim bit his lip and stared at the ground, embarrassed at his outburst. He didn't know if the two newcomers were accepting of his brash attitude like his parents were.

Sarek bowed his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you, young Kirk."

Amanda held out her hand and Jim shook it awkwardly. "Have you seen Spock?"

"Yes, he's in a cabin with Khan, Nero and… Olson I think. Khan and Nero were arguing and he didn't look too pleased with it. I half expected him to snap at them."

Before Amanda could reply, students began arriving for morning tea. The parents moved back to join the other adults and Jim sought the company of his friends. He found them quickly and stood with them right outside the doors. When they opened the students piled in and grabbed fruit, biscuits and juice before sitting down to eat and wait for further instructions.

Jim was almost finished eating when Pike stood and announced the group leaders. There were fourteen of them: Christopher Pike, George Kirk, Winona Kirk, Sarek Grayson, Amanda Grayson, Alexander Marcus, Rima Harewood, Thomas Harewood, James Komack, Richard Barnett, Hannity Brackett, David McCoy, Richard Robau and Gage 'Cupcake' Hendorff. Most of them were parents and Grade 7 teachers, but a few were from other grades or, in Barnett's case, part of the school administration team.

"There will be seven people per team," Pike was saying. "Group 1 will be with me. The following: Jim Kirk, Leonard McCoy, Spock Grayson, Hikaru Sulu, Montgomery Scott, Nyota Uhura and Pavel Chekov."

Jim blanched and stared at Bones. "We've got Uhura? I'm going to die…" Bones made a gesture to shush him.

"Group 2 will be with George Kirk. The following: Carol Marcus, Christine Chapel, John Harrison, Ayel Narada, Keenser Roylan, Gaila Orion and Nero Narada."

Keenser sighed and Scotty patted his back. "There, there lad, it's gonna be okay. Yeh've got Ayel in yer group an' he's real nice."

"Khan," Keenser spat angrily. He didn't like Khan because the tall boy teased him for being small.

Jim leant close to Bones. "Why couldn't I be in _that _group? I don't want to be with Nyota, and dad's group has the girls that _don't_ hate me."

Bones shrugged. "You're just unlucky. Deal with it buddy. I'm stuck in a group with _you_."

He made a face. "Gee, thanks Bones. Your faith in me is inspiring."


	2. Raft-Building

**Chapter 2 – Raft-Building**

"So," Jim said slowly, "what activity do we have first?"

Once the last name had been called out they were ordered to go into their groups. Scotty had waved his hand sadly at Keenser, the tiny boy obviously not wanting to go and sit with Khan and the others. It had taken every ounce of Keenser's courage to leave Scotty's side.

Scotty stared at Pike nervously, wondering what their first activity was. "Wha' is it?" he asked anxiously.

Pike laughed. "We're doing raft-building with Group 2."

"What?" Jim shouted. Bones shushed him and Nyota glared.

"Jim, listen. We're doing a whole group-versus-group thing and the winning group gets a prize at the end of Camp. We'll be competing against Group 2. For this activity we're going to see which team can make the most sea-worthy raft in the time given."

"Do ve hawe to test it?" Pavel squeaked.

"Yes. You decide if it's one-person or two-person. You'll get given materials to use too."

"What are we waiting for?" Jim cried. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Pike raised his hand. "You should get changed into your older clothes. It'll get muddy."

"Okay!" they cried in unison. The rushed to their cabins, Scotty being left behind by the athletic Jim and Bones. Once at his cabin he closed the door and windows, stripping off completely and pulling on swimmers, board shorts and an old t-shirt. He had a pair of wet-shoes that he slipped on. Then he waited for Jim and Bones to join him, wearing similar attire. They rushed from the cabin, picking up a similarly-dressed Spock, Pavel and Hikaru on the way. Nyota waited for them at the beginning of the path that led to the lakeside.

Hikaru jumped with excitement. "I volunteer to test the raft!"

They arrived at the lakeside and stared at the pile of materials in front of them: three empty plastic drums, several lengths of rope, two sheets of plywood and three large plastic containers. Scotty's mind began to work hard, using his skill at maths and manufacturing to figure out the best way to assemble everything they had into a workable raft. Immediately Jim rushed to start planning and Nyota was quick to disprove his ideas.

Group 2 was already beginning to make their raft, Khan and Nero taking charge. Scotty frowned. Keenser was a crafting genius and they weren't doing themselves justice by not using his skills. He turned back to his own team and listened to Jim and Nyota argue about the best course of action. The others stood back to watch and Scotty hit Bones' shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"We gotta stop 'em," Scotty snapped. "We'll lose a' this rate."

"Fine," Bones sighed, stepping forward and grabbing Jim's hair. "Good God man! Get your head together! Arguing ain't gonna help us. You're not the most qualified of the group to make the design; Scotty is. I'll bet he's already got a design planned."

"I do too!"

"We need to play on our strengths," Bones told him. "Let everyone else make a contribution."

Jim glared. "Fine, who has ideas?"

As Bones let go, Spock stepped forward. "I have an idea," he said quietly. "We can put the three drums right next to each other and wind rope around them diagonally to tie them together firmly."

"I like tha way yer mind works," Scotty said approvingly. "I was thinking tha', an' put tha plywood on tha top an' wind rope around it an' tha gaps between tha drums."

Scotty, Bones and Jim dragged the drums together, leaving just enough space between them for rope. Little Pavel held rope in his tiny hands and threaded it through the gaps, holding it out for Hikaru to pull through. They wound the rope around the three drums, pulling it around the last one and starting the system again. By that time the rope was muddy from being dragged along the ground, and it coated Hikaru's hands.

As those two continued, Scotty beckoned Spock and Nyota. Jim watched him sourly, obviously not liking being sidelined. "Okay, lad, lass, I need ye ta help me move this wood. We need tha biggest piece an' some rope tha' can go around it."

Spock selecting the largest piece and Nyota unwound a length of rope, looking at Scotty for approval. He nodded and they took them over to the drums.

"We're done," Bones told him. "I've knotted it off at the end."

Pavel and Hikaru stood there with mud stains on their knees and hands, looking pleased with their work. The drums were brought tightly together with barely any wiggle room and the end had been neatly knotted. Scotty nodded his approval and enlisted Bones' and Jim's help to roll it over onto the flattest part. Once it squelched into the mud Spock placed the wood on top, holding it in place as Pavel and Nyota wound muddy rope around the wood and the gaps between the drums to secure it. The raft began to slide in the mud and Jim and Bones quickly stood between it and the water, bracing themselves against it. Hikaru stood on the other side, knees bent and grasping the rope.

Finally it was finished and Scotty whooped. They had beaten Group 2, as Khan and Nero were still arguing. Keenser was quietly working with Ayel to get a basic design completed while the other boys were immersed in their fight.

"Okay," Scotty said, "le' go an' le' it slide in tha water."

They let go and watched it slowly slide through the mud and into the water. Pike strolled up with a lifejacket and a paddle, a broad smile on his face.

"Nice job," he complimented, "and I'm glad to see you figured out how to work as a team. Sulu, here's a jacket and paddle for you." He looked at the mud-streaked boy and handed over the items. "Let's see just how seaworthy it is."

Hikaru zipped up the jacket and walked to the water's edge, his shoes sinking into the mud. Bones and Scotty followed, holding out their hands for him to step on so he could get a boost. Hikaru was flung into the air and landed solidly on the raft as it entered the water, shifting into a better position. He lay on his stomach, facing the back of the raft, and began to push his paddle like a dolphin's tail, propelling the raft forward. It shook briefly before settling into a smooth rhythm.

"We did it!" Hikaru shouted.

Jim moved to stand next to Scotty. "Okay, I'm sorry. Your design is better than mine."

Scotty faced him, shaking his mud-coated hands. "It takes a big man ta apologise." He crouched at the water's edge and wiped his hands clean. Raft-building had been a good challenge, but he wasn't sure that Jim would tolerate being shoved aside. Jim liked to be in charge.

Hikaru began to paddle back and jumped off when he was in shallow water, beginning to drag the raft out of the water. Scotty, Bones and Jim joined him, heaving it as hard as they could. Pavel, Spock and Nyota reluctantly joined in the muddy tug-of-war, sheer brute strength of seven children winning against the suction of the mud.

Finally, it was over, and their clothes were covered in mud and grime. Nyota ran her fingers through her muddy hair, only succeeding in making it muddier. She grumbled and Jim fought a snicker, stopping when Bones elbowed him in the ribs.

Khan and Nero sauntered over, their faces thunderous. Evidently they'd decided to work together on something. "Well," Nero sneered, "you fell not far from the tree, didn't ya?"

Scotty snorted. "Strange words for ye ta say, given tha' we just _kicked ye arse_!" Keenser jumped up and down behind them, panic on his face. Beside him, Ayel's face was pale and he looked like he was having an asthma attack. Even as Scotty watched he saw Ayel take an inhaler from his pocket and suck on it briefly, his colour returning to normal. He began to worry that Khan and Nero might be threatening physical violence, but they couldn't. Not with teachers around.

Khan looked down on the seven muddy children and curled his lip in distaste. "You might not want to beat us again," he said in a dangerously low voice, "or we'll make you pay."

Jim stepped forward, glaring. "Get away. We won, that's all there is to it. You should work as a team next time."

"Teamwork's for cowards," Khan spat.

"Well you're working together right now," Jim pointed out.

Pike and George Kirk came over, arms out to separate them. "That's enough," Pike ordered. "You've had your spat. Act your age."

"We're eleven," Jim sighed. "We _are _acting our age."

"Don't give lip to me," George said sharply. Jim flinched and the children shrunk away from the adults. Scotty touched Jim's shoulder and they turned to their raft, dismembering it quietly. Their group turned to help them and Khan and Nero backed off. The adults stepped back to allow the children to work.

"I need a shower," Nyota sighed, shaking her body like a puppy. Gaila sent her a sad look and Nyota shrugged, staring at her filthy skin.

"I can help you with that," Jim said jokingly, waggling his eyebrows. Nyota stepped back and glared, earning a shicker from him.

"Lasses, tha's enough," Scotty said warningly.

They finished untying everything and piled the rope, drums and plywood together with the rest of materials. Pike gave them the go-ahead for a quick shower before lunch and they ran to their cabins as fast as they could.

Scotty sat cross-legged outside his cabin, waiting for Jim, Bones and Keenser to have their turns in the shower. He felt good about helping them win but he wasn't sure that they worked well together. Jim and Nyota especially, they seemed like a bomb about to go off. Spock, Hikaru and Pavel were nice enough, but very quiet and afraid to voice their opinions. They all had unique skills, he noted. Bones and Jim were athletic and headstrong, Pavel and small and fast, Hikaru was light on his feet, Spock was intelligent, he was creative and Nyota was authoritative. If they harnessed their skills together they could achieve anything, he thought.

At the very least, they stood a better chance of working as a team than Khan and Nero. Those two only worked together when it came to beating someone up. Usually that someone was one of Scotty's friends.

Jim stuck his wet head out the door, "Oy Scotty, the showers free."

Scotty took off his shoes and carried them under his arm, padding across the wooden floor and grabbing a towel on his way. He showered fully-clothed, getting the mud off him and his clothes, washing his shoes clean. When he got out Jim, Bones and Keenser were sitting next to a heater, drying their bodies. He sat with them and held his shoes out in front of him, waiting impatiently to dry so he could go to lunch.

They dried at different times and Scotty was the last to leave. He pulled his wet-shoes on and ruffled his damp hair, rushing to the dining hall. Everyone was already seated and eating their salad sandwiches. He skidded when he saw the food and eagerly piled everything onto the bread. Sandwiches were the food of the Gods. Keenser had saved him a seat and he joined his friends, earing heartily.

"So wha' do we have next?" he asked in between bites.

"We've got canoeing," Jim sighed, gulping juice. "I _really _wanted to get wet today. I _totally _did."

"It should be fun," Bones said darkly.

"Oh, it won't be tha' bad." Scotty took a huge bite of his sandwich, cheeks bulging, and gave a muffled sound of delight. The sandwich was absolutely delicious! Keenser only had one slice of bread topped with cheese on his plate and he didn't look like he would eat that. Scotty felt a pang of worry for his friend. Keenser didn't really eat much. He had like, a bean and he was done.

Lunch passed with Jim and Bones complaining about canoeing, which served to foul Scotty's mood. He was sick of Bones complaining and now it had been transferred to Jim. He was almost glad when the time for sandwiches finished and they made their way down to the lakeside with Group 2.


	3. Canoeing

**Chapter 3 - Canoeing**

"Hey Pasha, aren't you going to eat?"

"Da, I just vant to get some vater first."

Hikaru watched as Pavel joined the queue of children in front of the water and juice dispensers. He continued to eat his chicken and lettuce salad, chewing slowly, his eyes fixed on Pavel's sandwich next to him. Someone could steal it if he wasn't careful. Pavel eventually sat back down and tucked in, smiling shyly at the Japanese-American.

"You didn't hawe to vatch it like a havk."

"I know, but I did anyway. Scotty was eyeing it."

"Oh, zen zat's okay." Pavel giggled and drank his water. "Did you know zat drinking vater vhile eating is bad for your digestion?"

Hikaru tilted his head. "Then why are you drinking it?"

"I von't be able to chew zis dry bread ozervise."

"Fair enough," Hikaru shrugged. "We've only got a few minutes; you might want to hurry."

"Hurrying…"

They finished their lunches just in time, as the teachers stood and told them to get to their next rotation subject. Hikaru grabbed Pavel's hand and dragged him down to the lakeside, chasing after the rest of their group. Pavel tripped over a stray branch and began to fall, but Hikaru grabbed his arm to steady him. Giggling, Pavel jumped on his friend's back and Hikaru ran the rest of the way, Pavel squealing with delight as they reached their target. He almost slipped as Hikaru stopped, but he managed to get down safely.

Jim grinned at the flushed and panting boys and Hikaru winked back, beaming. That was fun!

Group 2 and Nyota straggled along, hair plastered to their faces from the showers they'd had. The girls looked a bit disgruntled and Nyota moved to stand with Pavel and Hikaru, crossing her arms and pointedly ignoring Jim.

Pike and George surveyed the fourteen children in front of them. "We're canoeing now," Pike said. "We'll separate into pairs and pick a canoe, a lifejacket and a paddle. I'll let you work this out."

There was immediate confusion as people raced to grab partners. Hikaru grabbed Pavel, Nyota grabbed Spock and Jim grabbed Bones, leaving Scotty to partner with Pike. Christine grabbed Carol, Khan grabbed Gaila and Keenser grabbed Ayel, leaving Nero to partner with George. With the pairs sorted, they each got a lifejacket (zipping it up) and a paddle, standing with their partner beside their chosen canoes.

"Get your canoes into the water and do your best to get in," George ordered. Hikaru immediately pushed their canoe in, as it was the closest to the water, and vaulted in, landing heavily on the seat. He held out his arms and Pavel waded knee-deep into the water, allowing Hikaru to pull him into the canoe. His legs were brown with mud and they both laughed.

"Come on, let's paddle," Hikaru enthused. "I'll go right, because I'm right-handed, and you go left, because you're left-handed."

"Da," Pavel agreed. They sat in their seats and brought their paddles to their side, beginning to propel themselves forward through the murky lake water. Behind them, the rest of the students were doing their best to follow, clumsy with the unfamiliar motion of the paddle.

"I'll bet they thought I only fenced," Hikaru snickered.

"Maybe I should take some canoeing lessons too," Pavel said from in front of him. The person from the front acted as the navigator and short distance obstacle-avoider, while the person behind was the muscle and decided the overall route. As Pavel had sharper eyes and a quick hand it was up to him to avoid any obstacles that they were approaching and make quick decisions about manoeuvring. Hikaru was bigger and stronger and had a better grasp of canoeing, so he set the pace and provided muscle to get them on their way.

They paddled in a circle, waiting for everyone else to get in the water. Keenser and Ayel seemed to be having trouble moving, seeing as they were both so small, and Hikaru set a course for them. As they approached, Pavel flung out the handle of his paddle, which Keenser caught and used to lock their canoes together.

"You guys having trouble?" Hikaru asked.

"We can't get the paddling right," Ayel said quietly. Hikaru smiled and demonstrated the correct way to paddle, encouraging Ayel (who was on the left side) to have a few goes. Once Ayel had it right, Pavel pushed them away and they paddled along unhurriedly.

Pike and Scotty were moving across the lake, George and Nero following. Hikaru noticed this and nudged Pavel with his foot, waiting for the boy to spin around before pointing at the retreating figures. Pavel grinned and the two shot off after the others, quickly overtaking them all. The canoes moved up and down the lake as the students got the feel for their canoes and the different type of movement. Hikaru and Pavel were easily the best and they amused themselves by watching Khan and Gaila arguing and generally being dysfunctional.

They were called into a group together, connecting their canoes by holding the paddle of the person next to them. Hikaru and Pavel were squashed between Pike and Scotty and Jim and Bones.

"Okay, we're going to play a game of tag!" Pike shouted. "You'll all separate and I'll pick a pair to be it! That pair has to tag everyone from the other group within ten minutes, and if they fail it means a win for the other team. If they tag everyone, they win."

They separated and Hikaru and Pavel drifted away from everyone, sitting relaxedly. "The pair that's it is Khan and Gaila!"

Really, there was nothing to worry about. Those two were such a bad team that they didn't get _anyone _by the time ten minutes were up. Hikaru and Pavel didn't even have to move from their comfortable position.

After two more games, both of which Group 2 won unfortunately, they were playing a game of canoe polo. They had to get the ball through the enemy goals without getting tapped and if they were tapped they had to give the ball to the other team. Group 1 won that because they communicated. Hikaru and Pavel were the stars of the team and scored the most goals of anyone with their quick movements and reflexes.

At last it was time to take their canoes back and drag them onto the lakeside. They all squelched quite muddily up to the cabins to shower and put on fresh clothes before afternoon tea. To Hikaru's delight, they had two hours of free time before dinner. He and Pavel went back to the cabin with Ayel, being forced to strip off to their underwear outside where everyone could see them. Hikaru went first and brought out a towel for Pavel and Ayel to strip off behind, knowing how shy the two were. His shower was brief and just long enough to get the mud out and he called Pavel in next.

It was getting chilly outside, so he dressed in jeans, joggers, a button-up shirt and a knitted jumper his mother had made for him. Combing his hair so it was out of his face, he rummaged through Pavel's bag and got out his sketchpad and drawing case. Pavel was really good at drawing, for a ten-year-old anyway, and Hikaru loved to watch him draw while he was classifying plants. Hikaru loved botany and plants, and Pavel often sketched vegetation to make his friend happy.

Pavel had put on jeans and a hoodie and took his sketchpad from Hikaru, waggling a finger in disproval. "You knov not to touch my stuff," he grinned.

Hikaru playfully hit his shoulder. "Come on, let's go sketch and classify." He took his botany book and he and Pavel rushed from the cabin, closing the door so Ayel could shower in peace. They marched away from the cabins and found themselves at the edge of a grassy field where dozens of boys played a game of soccer. Hikaru led the way into the nearby scrub and they settled a short distance from the boys playing soccer, nestled between two tree stumps. Pavel leant back against one stump, sketchpad on his lap and frowning at the scene in front of him.

"Should I drav ze canopy or ze stump?" he asked, rolling his pencil between his lips. Hikaru examined the stump across from them and the canopy above it, smiling gently.

"You should do both," he said, "like a wide shot."

"Zat vill take time. I don't knov if ve hawe zat time."

"If you start now you'll have more time."

"Good point."

Pavel quietened and began to roughly sketch the scene in front of him, tongue pressed between his gap-tooth as he drew careful, purposeful lines. Beside him, Hikaru flipped leisurely through his botany book, searching for a matching description with the plant in front of him. The two boys remained like that for ages, disturbed only by the soccer ball hitting the ground in front of them. Pavel cried out in alarm and cowered behind Hikaru, sketchpad lying forgotten in the leaves.

"Hey!" Hikaru shouted, grabbing the ball between his feet. "Who was that?"

Jim came bounding through the bushes and skidded to a stop, almost falling over. "Sorry! One of the guys kicked it a bit hard…" He took stock of the two boys and his head tilted curiously. "What are you guys doing?"

"Well, we _were _sketching and reading before you came bursting in," Hikaru said pointedly.

"I apologise," Pavel said quietly, resuming his original position and pulling his sketchpad close.

Frowning, Jim took the ball and bounced it once. "I'll leave you to it."

"Yeah, thanks."

Once he was gone they returned to their tasks until the bell for dinner rang. They had skipped afternoon tea and were regretting it now because their stomachs were growling like crazy. Hikaru took Pavel's sketchpad and his book back to the cabin, telling the younger boy to go and save him a seat. Whistling, Hikaru hopped to the cabin in the waning light, wishing he could see the sunset. Unfortunately the trees were too thick to see anything beyond the darkening orange sky. He put their things back in the cabin and ran to the dining hall, pushing his jumper sleeves up over his elbows. Everyone was already inside by the time he arrived and he quickly joined the line of students waiting for food. There were sausages and vegetables and Hikaru took an average helping before casting his eyes over the plastic tables. His gaze was caught by Pavel's waving arm and he quickly joined the young Russian, Scotty and Keenser with dinner.

"What have you guys been doing?" Hikaru asked, squeezing sauce over his sausages.

"Oh, Keenser an' I were workin' on designs for a wee robot we've wanted to make for a while. Hopefully, once we're done, it'll move and everythin'."

"Zat sounds fun," Pavel said eagerly.

"Well wha' were you lads doin'?"

"Ve vere sitting avay from everyone else and Hikaru read his book vhile I sketched."

"Are ye any good?"

"I zink so, I hawe finished ze sketch I vas vorking on today. You can look at it if you like."

Hikaru ate quietly while Pavel and Scotty chatted about something or other. He had hoped that Pavel would cheer up in a Camp atmosphere and he was right. At school Pavel was quiet and submissive and it was good for him to come out of his shell a little. It might have something to do with the group of good people they were with, or that Hikaru was in his cabin. Hikaru was Pavel's best friend and they were rarely seen apart.

He remembered how they'd met. Two years previously Pavel had arrived from Russia, a scrawny eight-year-old in a Grade 5 class when most of the others were nine or ten. He was frightened and small, hiding at the back of class and out of notice. Often he was the target of bullying. Khan had been picking on him when Hikaru happened to pass by and step in, saving Pavel from the tall boy. Both Pavel and Hikaru were sent to the Principal's Office then and Hikaru had never left Pavel alone for one day since then, even coming to school when he was sick just to keep his friend safe. When Hikaru was around, Pavel was safe, and that made him happier than anything else.

Smiling, Hikaru finished his food and leant back in his chair, patting his stomach appreciatively. "That was nice," he sighed, burping to emphasise his point. Pavel giggled and he too burped, his cheeks flushing a delightful crimson.

Dessert was apple crumble, which they ate with gusto, and it was almost six o'clock by the time they were finished. Pike announced that they were going to watch a movie before bed, _Hoodwinked_. Most of the students groaned at that, wishing they could watch a more grown-up film instead of a kid one. But they were kids and would be treated like that until they were older. Hikaru stifled a sigh and played with a loose thread on his jumper, twirling it between his forefinger and thumb.

They were told to get their sleeping bags and come back ready for the movie. A few people secretly brought chips and lollies, sneaking them past the teachers. Pavel and Hikaru settled down with Jim, Bones, Scotty and Keenser to the side. Hikaru leant against the wall and Pavel curled up in his lap sleepily, unfocused eyes staring at the screen on the wall to their right. He was asleep before the movie was halfway through.

It was late when it finished and the children were tiredly picking themselves up after their big day. Hikaru gathered the sleeping Pavel in his arms and carried him back to their cabin, ignoring the pointed looks that Jim sent their way. He laid Pavel on his bed and waited for Ayel to come back before turning off the light and going to bed.

He was asleep within minutes.


	4. Rope Courses

**Chapter 4 – Rope Courses**

Spock woke to Khan and Nero arguing over who got the shower first. At first he pulled the pillow over his head in the hopes he'd fall back asleep, but after a few moments it became clear that that wouldn't happen. He sat up and rubbed his eyes blearily with one hand, using the other to search in his bag for his glasses. Finding them, he perched them on his nose and glared at the two boys, now three, as Olson had joined the argument.

He looked outside and grimaced. It was dawn and, checking his watch, it was five in the morning. Breakfast wasn't until seven. Figuring that he wouldn't get any peace, he quietly grabbed fresh clothes and his towel, stepping outside into the brisk morning air and heading for the cabin next door. He jumped up the stairs and pressed his ear to the door, smiling as he heard voice.

"Can I come in?" he asked, knocking. Bones opened the door and groaned.

"Fine, you can come in." He moved aside for Spock to enter.

"What's up?" Jim asked, his hair stuck up at the back and sheet lines on his face.

Spock shrugged. "They're all arguing. I was hoping I could use your shower."

Scotty raised his eyebrow. "Ye shower in tha mornin'? Ye lads are weird!"

"Some people do," Jim told him. He turned to Spock. "Sure you can. You're in our group anyway."

"Thank you." Spock nodded in gratitude and went to the bathroom, showering quickly before dressing in ironed black jeans, a blue button-up shirt and black boots. He towelled his hair dry quickly, combing it to its usual pristine state, slipped on his glasses and exited, feeling awake and refreshed. The others had dressed while he was in the shower and lounged comfortably on their beds, playing a card game.

"You can see yourself out," Bones said dismissively. "Good luck with Tweedledum and Tweedledee."

"Thank you." Spock left the cabin quickly, knowing that they didn't particularly like him, merely tolerated him. He sighed. At least their generosity had allowed him to avoid the rest of his cabin for fifteen minutes. They were quiet when he got back, sulking and staring at different walls. He dropped his clothes and towel on his bed and reached into his bag, grabbing the first book he touched and racing from the cabin. The sun was slowly coming over the forest surrounding them, bathing the area in a tentative orange light. Spock moved to the bridge that stretched over the pond in the middle of all the cabins and sat, dangling his legs over the edge. He pushed his glasses up his nose and opened the book to the first page, noting that it was the first of the _Bartimaeus_ trilogy, a book he'd read many times.

As time ticked by there was more activity. A group of boys walked past cheerily, singing "I'm Slim Shady, yes I'm the real Shady" at the top of their lungs. That earned them a scolding from Richard Robau, who was passing by. Not long after that, Jim and Bones ran past with their hands full of leaves, undoubtedly up to mischief. More people appeared to wake and they ignored the solitary figure on the bridge. He was used to it.

His bubble was burst when his father, Sarek Grayson, sat next to him.

"Why are you out here alone?" Sarek asked quietly. "This is an opportunity for you to make friends, Spock. I don't want you to waste it."

"I find it difficult to relate with people I have nothing in common with," Spock replied, turning a page. "I am a geek and I will remain so."

Sarek sighed. "These are your peers for five more years. You can't spend all that time alone with your nose in a book."

He'd had a friend once, a girl named T'Pring. She was his first friend at age four and they made a promise to each other that they would always be friends and no one would come between them. Then a new boy arrived at kindergarten. His name was Stonn and he took a liking for T'Pring. She spent more time with him, ignoring Spock when he sought her attention. It broke his heart. They had made a pact to let no one come between their friendships. He knew how much that pact meant to her when he found her kissing Stonn at lunch one day.

Since then he'd never found another friend or anyone he could relate with. They were all disappointments in his eyes and he didn't want to be hurt like that again. He was only eleven.

"It's my choice, father. If it's any consolation, I was partnered with Nyota Uhura for canoeing and she was the one who sought partnership with me. This morning, Jim Kirk let me into his cabin to shower because my bunkmates were arguing."

"Well, it's a start. Breakfast's in ten minutes, by the way." Sarek patted his son on the shoulder and stood, clasping his hands behind his back and strolling off to find Amanda. Spock stared after him for a second before closing his book, tucking it under his arm and heading to the dining hall.

He reached the dining hall and joined the line for food, accepting a vegetarian omelette. Yes, he was vegetarian. Meat made him queasy. He looked at the other seated students, seeing Jim's blonde head among them. He started moving in that direction, butterflies in his stomach, but stopped. Courage faltering, he abruptly changed his path and sat at the end of a table, next to a loud group of boys. They ignored him and he opened his book again, burying his face in it while he ate breakfast.

After breakfast he ran to the cabin and brushed his teeth before Khan or Nero could come back, leaving with a water bottle just as the tall boy arrived (with a very sour look on his face). He went to the grassy expanse near the cabins, as that was where Pike had told them to meet. Most of his group was already there and he joined them, standing at the back of the group and attempting to fade into the background.

Pike and George joined them after a few minutes and made sure that all fourteen students were present.

"This morning we have the rope courses," Pike announced. "I'm glad to see you've brought water. We'll be there until lunch."

"Follow me!" George cried, grinning widely at his son. Jim went pink with embarrassment. They followed George along a bush trail until reaching the designated course. Spock swallowed nervously as he saw just how high up the course was – easily four metres off the ground with only two pieces of metal holding him up. His stomach was in his throat and he regretted eating such a big breakfast.

Pike stood in front of them sombrely. "Now, I have to show you how to put on a harness. There are some right behind you… yes, there. Take one and stand where you can see me and I'll go through how to put it on and all the safety rules…" He began to explain and the children faithfully followed his directions, even Khan and Nero – although they could be scared too. Once all the rules were explained he informed them of the game. "The group with the fastest average time of all its members will win, so you can't rely on just the athletic people."

"We have to rely on all of them," Jim whispered to Bones.

"Who wants to go first?"

Khan stepped forward importantly, accepting a safety helmet from George. He climbed the first ladder and attached a metal component to the doughnut on the front of his harness. Once secure, he breezed through the course with little difficulty in under six minutes, proving that he wasn't afraid of heights like Spock was.

As others began to attempt the course, Spock sat down awkwardly in his harness, feeling faint. Nyota reclined next to him, wearing a concerned expression. "You hate heights too, huh?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "I'm not very… confident with my feet off the ground."

Nyota grimaced. "I'm not brave either, but I'm going to try. I think you should too."

"Maybe…"

She stood and brushed the back of her jeans. "Think about it."

As she left and joined the rest of his standing team, Spock watched Ayel attempt the course. Ayel looked terrified; clinging to the ropes and trees like his life depended on it. The only thing that urged him on was taunts and threats by his brother, fear driving him instead of determination. Spock bit his lip and adjusted his glasses, shuffling his feet along the ground nervously.

Ayel did end up finishing the course in eight minutes, which was an average time. Scotty was next in line and went through slowly and methodically, which lessened his troubles. As a math genius, it wasn't hard for the red-head to calculate the best way to get through the course and follow through. He finished in seven minutes because he was so careful and direct, high-fiving Jim as he unclipped the metal component from his doughnut.

Jim turned to Spock. "Come on Spock! You go!"

At his words, Spock paled even more and shook his head. "I'd rather not, thank you. You should go."

"O-okay," Jim said slowly. He turned to Bones with a frown on his face. "What's his problem? It's just a rope course."

Bones hit his shoulder. "Some people are afraid of heights, idiot!"

"Oh…"

"Yeah, now get up there after Christine."

Christine actually did very well, forgetting about her usual shyness so she could have some fun. Nyota, Carol and Gaila cheered her on, and Spock noticed the way Bones' face softened when he watched her. Looks like someone had a crush…

"Finished!" she said excitedly, landing solidly on the ground. She was swamped by her friends and the girls giggled and whispered as they moved away so Jim could try the course. Spock didn't normally notice people, but he noticed just how precise Jim's movements were, almost reflecting Scotty's. It showed great skill at seeing and doing on Jim's part. Gaila giggled and cried out support for Jim, wringing her hands around her green jacket sleeves and blushing. That seemed to make Jim go faster as he attempted to impress the girls, but he faltered at one point because of it. He managed to keep his balance and took a few shaky steps to the end, finishing quickly and climbing down the ladder.

Spock stared at the course again. There was no way that he was strong enough to do this. Bones was next and he was strong, while Spock was only a weakling.

The others continued to attempt the course, stopping at one point for a morning tea that George brought down in an esky. They split off into little groups; Jim, Bones, Scotty and Keenser; Khan, Nero and Ayel; Nyota, Carol, Gaila and Christine; Hikaru and Pavel. Spock sat close behind Jim's small group, head down and nibbling quietly at his biscuit and fruit. He wished he wasn't so scared to talk to them and that he could be included in their conversations, but it wasn't like that. Life wasn't like the books and movies, he found. Nothing was ever that simple and his emotions betrayed his desires. He desired to be accepted, yet feared the process of gaining that acceptance. He hated being afraid, but there was nothing he planned on doing about it.

Jim sat beside him and Spock jumped. He hadn't noticed the boy coming. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. I was a bit out of it."

Jim wrapped his arms around his knees, locking his hands together. "You look nervous. You wanna talk about it?"

"I don't like heights. That's it."

"Okay." Jim sighed. "Think about it. If you don't try, you'll feel ashamed and guilty because you're afraid. If you do, how will you feel?"

"I would feel angry and embarrassed because I made a fool of myself in front of everyone."

"Well… you won't know if you'll fail if you don't try."

"Everyone says that. They don't understand." Spock bit his lip.

"Hey, I understand. This," Jim gestured to himself, "confidence didn't come out of thin air. I had to work hard to gain it and build on my courage and self-esteem. If you do this and succeed, then you'll be on the road to getting that confidence."

"I'll fail. I know I will."

"Well of course you will if you talk like that!" Jim groaned. "I don't get you! You seem to be trying to fit in, yet you back off before you even try. Is failure what you're afraid of? Everyone fails at something. I failed at canoeing and I fail at teamwork. You… you don't even _try_."

"You don't even know me," Spock hissed, anger etched on his otherwise unblemished face.

"And I never will if you don't pull your socks up! I'm really disappointed. I thought I got a good team with brave, honest people. You're not brave, and you lie to yourself every day."

"That's enough!" Spock shouted, leaping to his feet with clenched fists. Blood rushed to his ears. Everyone stared in shock. "I'll do the course! I will! I'll show you!" He marched over to the ladder, clipping the metal onto his doughnut and beginning to climb without waiting for a helmet or for Pike to check his equipment.

His safety harness was secure enough. It had a belt tied securely around his waist, the doughnut attached to the front of that. Two leg loops were connected in the front of the hips, pulled tightly around his legs as his weight changed. His lower half was on fire as the harness tightened around his hips.

He reached the top of the ladder, stepped onto a platform and stared determinedly at the course in front of him. Gingerly, he stepped to the edge of the platform and brought a hand to either side of him, clutching the two ropes on his right and left. He turned his foot to the side and walked duck-footed along the rope, hands clutching the support ropes tightly. His face was blank with concentration; he would show Jim. He was _not _a liar!

Elation filled him as he reached the platform opposite and unclipped his doughnut, attaching it to the next part of the course. A strange look crossed his face as he reached out and grasped the dangling rope in front of him, putting all his strength into his arms as he leapt off the platform, holding onto the rope like Tarzan. He cautiously snaked one hand out and took the next rope, holding onto the first one with his legs before letting go and clutching tight onto the next rope. The rest of that section continued the same way, though Spock was painfully aware of just how slow he was going.

No matter. He was still doing the course and there was only one more part to go.

At the end of the Tarzan ropes he stepped shakily onto the platform and switched the support string around, tightening it securely on his doughnut. The next part had no upper-body support, relying completely on precise footsteps and balance. A horizontal ladder stretched tightly between this platform and the next one and it swayed ominously as Spock pressed a foot down. He took a deep breath and placed one foot on the first rung, stopping to get his bearings before putting the other foot down. For the first time he became aware of the cheers of his team. His focus waned as he listened to their shouts and he stumbled, crouching down and grabbing the rung so as not to lose his balance. He tuned out the noise, a slight ringing noise resounding in his ears, filling up his awareness.

Standing slowly, he held his arms out wide to help with balance and inched forward, aware of how the ladder wobbled slightly with each movement. He persevered, pride filling him for the first time in a long time. He was showing them. He was proving that he was more than a nerd.

Khan's voice penetrated the fog of silence. "You're gonna fail, like always," the tall boy sneered.

And like that, Spock's concentration was shattered and he tipped dangerously, scrabbling for the support line as he slipped off the surface. He freefell for a moment before the line slackened and he was swung from side-to-side two metres above the ground. Adrenaline coursed through his system and his face was as white as a sheet.

Nero sniggered. "Too bad nerd; for a second it looked like you were gonna make it."

"Shut it," Jim growled. "He was awesome, which is more than I can say for you."

While George moved in to break up the inevitable fight, Pike climbed up the ladder at the very end of the course and crossed the horizontal ladder, bending down and unclipping Spock's doughnut. Scotty and Bones stood underneath him and they caught his limp body before it hit the ground.

Spock looked at them numbly, humiliation twisting his stomach in knots. He couldn't believe he'd been distracted and failed so badly… he shouldn't have tried. And yet… he felt a strange satisfaction as well as the embarrassment. He had _proven _something. He had shown that he was not just a nerd; that he had confidence.

Bones set him down with the rest of the team and they were quick to let him know their admiration.

"That was pretty brave," Nyota said warmly.

"Da, you vere on fire," Pavel giggled.

"You were great," Hikaru finished.

"Thank you," he said, voice shaking. Someone pressed his water bottle in his hands and he drank deeply, the shaking subsiding with each gulp. A shadow crossed over him and he looked up at Jim. The standing boy smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Well," he said easily, "I guess you're not a liar anymore."

Spock smiled.


	5. Jacob's Ladder

**Chapter 5 – Jacob's Ladder**

At eleven o'clock they were all finished and Pike declared that Group 2 had won, _again_. That meant it was 2-1 to Group 2. Bones sighed as he slipped off his harness, gingerly rubbing between his legs as blood rushed back. That harness had been pretty darn tight!

Handing his harness to Pike, he followed the rest of his group back to the dining hall for lunch. His eyes scanned them tiredly, resting briefly on Spock. The boy had surprised them all and Bones couldn't help but feel a small bubble of admiration. He had been seriously brave.

Drawing up with Jim, Bones proceeded to complain about lunch. "We had sandwiches yesterday, and I'll be damned if we have sandwiches today!"

"Oy, sandwiches are tha best," Scotty snapped from somewhere behind him.

Bones stumbled on a tree root but caught himself quickly. "Right, yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. We better have somethin' good. I'm tired of this awful Camp food."

"Maybe they'll let you make a marble cake and top it with rainbows," Jim replied absent-mindedly, giggling at his 'genius'.

Bones narrowed his eyes. "Oh, hardy-har-har buster, that was a good one. I'm rolling on the ground with laughter." He face-palmed when he saw Jim's wicked grin, knowing he'd fallen into a trap.

"You look remarkably clean for someone who's just been down and dirty."

"Jim!" George shouted. "What was that?"

"It was a friendly jibe," Jim replied. He wrung his hands together. "Dad always takes things the wrong way."

"Sometimes I have to." George came level with them. "Watch your language kid. I'm watching you."

"Yeah, not creepy _at all_," Jim said sarcastically.

They arrived at the dining hall and went in to eat, Jim giggling madly as the groups that had just had canoeing and raft-building squelched in looking sullen. Quite a few of them sported a mud-streaked hairdo and several had brown, soaked clothes. They had to get their food and eat outside.

"I'm glad we've got all the wet stuff out of the way," Bones sighed, moving forwards in the line. "I'm also glad that we've got hotdogs today."

"That's basically a sandwich with a sausage in the middle."

"Hey, you can't go wrong with a hotdog. I love 'em."

Jim took a plate and got two bread rolls, taking a sausage, cheese and barbecue sauce for each one. Bones did the same and the two boys glanced over the tables, looking for a friend. Seeing Spock, Bones nudged Jim and the pair joined the lone boy.

Spock looked up in surprise, adjusting his glasses. "Hi. You guys lost?"

"No," Jim said, sitting beside him.

Bones sat across from Jim and wrinkled his nose at the bread roll on Spock's plate, filled with some kind of green and rad sausage. "What is that?" he demanded.

"I'm vegetarian and this is a spinach and beetroot sausage," Spock replied. "It's very nutritious."

"Nutritious my ass," Bones muttered. Jim gasped.

"Watch your language! Your dad could be nearby."

Bones grumbled. "Whatever. I'm grumpy when I don't have coffee."

"You're _always _grumpy."

"That's because I never get coffee. My parents don't think I should be drinkin' it at this age, somethin' about 'shunting my growth'. If I want coffee, I'll drink coffee. I'm supposed to be about six feet when I finish growing anyway."

"Bones, you're twelve. You haven't even started growing yet. Boys have to wait until they're fourteen or fifteen." Jim took a bite of hotdog and spoke while chewing. "We grow up real slow."

"You'll never grow up," Bones muttered, tucking into his lunch. It wasn't as bad as he thought, but his mum could definitely whip up a much better hotdog. Camp food sucked.

"What activity do we have next?" Spock asked, wiping stray crumbs from the corners of his mouth.

"We've got something called 'Jacob's ladder'," Jim shrugged. "I've never heard of it."

"Me either. It sounds tall."

"Hence the word 'ladder'," Jim nodded. The pair continued to debate on what it actually was while Bones finished off his hotdogs and stretched back tiredly in his seat. Lunch finished not long after and they joined Pike, George and their teams on the grassy expanse. Ayel hadn't arrived yet, so Bones used that time to ask about their activity.

"What's Jacob's ladder?" he asked Pike.

"You'll know it when you see it." Pike winked and grinned as Ayel joined them, looking flushed. The sixteen of them went back through the bush, past the rope course and further in. Chatter came mainly from the girls as they discussed whatever it was girls talked about. Bones kept his eyes away from Christine, knowing that she wasn't interested. It would save him from some awkward explanation if someone caught him staring.

The Jacob's ladder turned out to be basically a huge ladder, its rungs separated about Pavel-height (which means that they weren't that far apart, but far enough to be bigger than a usual ladder). Two thick metal ropes made up the sides of the ladder, while the rungs were made up of thick wooden logs that were so wide that Bones couldn't fit both hands around it if he tried. At the very top of the ladder was a hanging orange ball, swaying from side-to-side. Bones groaned and shoved his hands in his pockets, not looking forward to this at all.

"As you probably guessed, this is Jacob's ladder," Pike said cheerfully. "Like with the rope course the team with the fastest averages wins."

George rolled his eyes. "Basically just get to the top as fast as possible."

"Yeah, that," Pike muttered. He raised his voice. "Okay! We need to get those harnesses on again. Allow me to give you another explanation…"

As they each took a harness and proceeded to tighten it around their waist and legs, Bones noted with some satisfaction that their team had an advantage over the others.

Group 2 had Keenser.

He was loath to be critical of his friend, but Keenser was tiny. He would have a hard time navigating up the logs with arms that small and no amount of screaming from Khan and Nero could make him taller. Bones silently pitied Keenser for the whopping he was sure to receive.

Pavel on the other hand was good to go. He was more nimble and light-footed and had no problem with heights. Plus he wouldn't be shouted at by his teammates if he was too slow. Pavel was such a cutie that only really nasty people could shout at him.

Like… ahem… _Khan and Nero_! Bones coughed guiltily and flicked his eyes to the two sour-faced boys. They had their backs to each other, no doubt from whatever their recent argument was about. He yawned and lifted his arms, allowing Pike to check his harness. When it was cleared he joined Jim in staring up at the ladder.

"It's big," he commented.

"No duh Sherlock," Jim sighed.

"Oh, keeping your mouth clean? Did daddy wash it out with soap?" Bones teased. Jim chuckled.

"No, this is precisely why I'm keeping it clean. I have no desire to experience that again. Should I go right away after Khan and Nero?"

"Yeah, get it over with. I want to go as soon as possible so we can get back before afternoon tea." Bones glanced at the others, standing a short distance away as their harnesses were checked, and lowered his voice. "I'm worried about Keenser. He's a bit short for this and those two jerks might give him hell for it."

"Good point," Jim murmured. "I'll tell Pike and dad. They might put the jerks on water duty or something, just to get them away."

"Smooth move. Do it while they're busy doing the course themselves."

Jim and Bones stepped back to join the others, waiting for Khan to strap on his helmet. Once he was up and away they approached Pike and told him of their worries. He took them seriously and said that he would get Khan and Nero to go his cabin and fetch his camera when it was Keenser's turn. Both boys were very grateful and returned to stand with their group, minus Nyota who was sitting cross-legged with her friends. Bones flicked his eyes to rest briefly on Christine's blonde hair, clipped up in a ponytail. She really was pretty and quite nice too. What? He was twelve and it was well within his rights to have a crush on a girl.

Shaking his mind from thoughts of her, he watched as Khan reached the top of the ladder and triumphantly smacked the orange ball, kicking away from the swaying ladder and letting the rope-pulley-system gently lower him to the ground. He sneered at Jim and Bones, sneaking a rude gesture which made Jim cry out in indignation.

"When I get my hands on that smarmy…" he trailed off. "No, he's not worth it."

Khan unclipped himself from the rope and handed it to Nero, as well as his helmet. The short-haired boy had a smirk on his face as he tied the helmet on and clipped the rope to his doughnut. Bones narrowed his eyes in annoyance and rearranged his face into a scowl that would have made his dad cringe if he wasn't stuck with Group 12. Then Bones would have had his ear flicked and no one would be the wiser.

Jim went after Nero, both boys finishing at decent times. They weren't incredibly fast, nor were they slow. Bones knew his climb would be like that as he secured himself on the rope and adjusted his helmet for the third time.

"Well," he murmured, "let's do this thing."

He rested his feet on the first rung, both arms wrapped on the log above it. Putting all his strength in his arms, he managed to hoist himself up so he was wrapped around the rung. He stayed there a moment and took a shaky breath before sitting up, squeezing the rung with his thighs, and reaching up above. It was a relief to grasp the wood above solidly and use it to pull himself to his feet, where he swayed dangerously with the movement. Jim called out support and Bones smiled grimly, keeping his eyes aimed upwards. As he got higher he knew that the temptation to look down would become too much to bear, so there was no use in starting now.

Fighting the pull to lower his eyes, he continued to crawl his way up the ladder rung by rung until he was five metres up. He wobbled as he stood on the last rung, holding the side of the ladder to keep himself steady, and he slapped the orange ball. Cheers erupted from his group. Then he looked down.

His breath came in shallow pants and his eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates. He was so high up! Deciding there and then that he wasn't going to abseil down like Khan, he began the slow climb back down, heart thumping in his throat.

No, he wasn't afraid of heights. He was just afraid of falling.

When his feet finally touched the ground he almost cried out in joy, but supressed it in time. He didn't want to seem weak in front of his friends. So he smiled and detached himself from the rope and helmet, handing it over to Scotty.

"Here you go," he said light-heartedly, "may it serve you well in the line of duty."

Scotty snorted. "Gee, thanks, I'm glad tha' ye have such faith in me."

Bones leant in close. "It's harder than it looks," he murmured.

"I know tha'. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

Bones stepped back and allowed Scotty to have his turn, the redhead finishing surprisingly fast. He was a lot quicker than Bones expected, but he was really good at math and judging movement so it was only expected. Damn Scotsman.

Nearly everyone was slower with the ladder than the rope course, but this activity was also harder so that came as no surprise. When Keenser's turn rolled around Pike kept to his word and sent Khan and Nero away to get his camera so he could 'take some photos of the interesting flora'. Keenser was visibly relieved that the boys weren't present and he did very well for someone of his size, even though he didn't make it to the top. Ayel also took advantage of his brother's absence and took his turn before the two returned. He didn't make it to the top either.

Bones was getting seriously hungry and the water he drank just seemed to make him hungrier. His mumbling was starting to drive Jim insane.

"We'll have afternoon tea soon," the blonde snapped, "then after that there's more free time and then dinner and a movie. Pike told me."

"I swear that they're trying to brainwash us," Bones mumbled, "making us watch tons of movies."

"It's only two…"

"Whatever."

An irritable Bones was not the best company. He was sullen and silent as they finished with the ladder, though he did cheer up slightly when Pike revealed that Group 1 had won (probably owing to the fact that both Keenser and Ayel had failed to complete the ladder). Khan and Nero had a hissy fit and ran ahead, muttering curses under their breath.

Now they were 2-2 and the result depended completely on orienteering tomorrow.

Bones was so happy when they left the bush and arrived back at the Camp. He went straight to the dining hall and grabbed fruits and biscuits, stuffing them into his mouth. The fruit wasn't as good as the peaches his mum had grown back in Georgia, but he ate it anyway. This meagre meal was enough to satiate his hunger for now, but he would definitely be getting hungry again in an hour or two. Hopefully the bell would ring around that time so he wouldn't be hungry for long.

Licking his fingers, Bones left the mingling students at the dining hall and sought out Jim. He wasn't that difficult to find – he was in their cabin grabbing a handball.

"Come on!" Jim cried. "Let's play handball!"

"I'm going to beat you to the ground!" Bones yelled back.

Scotty burst in the room, Keenser trailing behind. "We're doin' four squares!" the Scotsman shouted.

"Well I'm Ace," Jim declared, bouncing the ball on the timber floor. It didn't go straight in the air like Jim expected, but bounced to the left and hit Bones in the shoulder. He cried out in alarm and ran from the cabin, more than a little miffed at Jim for his carelessness. The careless boy ran after Bones, guffawing and waving the ball in his right hand as if it would threaten the older brunette.

To Bones' delight, as Jim was running he tripped over a loose bit of pavement and face-planted, the ball rolling from his grip. Bones scooped it up and roared with laughter as Jim scrambled to his feet indignantly. Expecting some witty remark, Bones was surprised when Jim smiled at him.

"What?" Bones asked, confused.

"Spock!" Jim shouted, approaching the older boy. Bones turned around and understood; Spock sat behind him, a book lying crumpled on the ground beneath his bent leg. Immediately Bones realised what must've happened. Spock had been walking along and Bones had almost run into him, causing the other boy to attempt to move out of the way but he ended up on the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry man," Bones said quickly, grabbing the boy's hands and hauling him to his feet. Jim came to level with them and picked up the book, dusting the top and handing it back.

Spock blushed. "Thank you. I should watch where I'm going."

Scotty and Keenser joined them as Jim had a bright idea. "Hey Spock, you should play with us! We're playing handball!"

"I don't… know…"

"Don't know how to play? That's okay! We'll teach you." He glanced at his friends. "Won't we?"

"Oh yeah, yeah sure," Bones said quickly, feeling a bit bad for Jim's face-plant and Spock's butt-plant. "It's a fun game."

"Well…" Spock hesitated, "okay."

Giggling, Jim swiped the ball from Bones and led them to an undercover area that had a big square, separated into four sections, painted on the ground. Jim labelled the squares as Ace, King, Queen and Dunce and explained the basic rules to Spock: he just had to hit the ball so it bounced once in his square before going into someone else's square. If someone missed the ball, or it bounced twice in their square, or it didn't bounce in their square, they were sent out.

Ace always served, and Jim was predictably in Ace position. Spock watched for a while before getting the gist and deciding to have a go. The others encouraged him and he actually hit the ball a few times! Granted, he spent most of his time either in the Dunce square or out, just like Jim spent most of his time in the Ace square. Jim was easily the best at handball.

Just as Spock had made it to King (where his next step was Ace) the bell for dinner rang. Bones' head perked up immediately.

"Dinner!" he shouted happily. "Come on suckers!"

The five boys ran to the dining hall and joined the line for butter chicken. Bones shifted from foot-to-foot and almost bowled over the students in front of him in his attempt to get to the food. He was surprised that the general chatter drowned out his thunderous stomach.

At last! He had his food and he took a seat at an unoccupied table, tucking in as the others came and joined him. Even Hikaru and Pavel sat with them, though they mainly talked to Scotty and Keenser.

Bones went up for seconds and thirds but wasn't allowed fourths. Although desserts was served shortly afterwards (slightly dry chocolate slice with cream) and he had two servings of that. After that he was satisfied and patted his stomach contentedly.

"You seem to have enjoyed that," Jim commented casually. "Is the Camp food really so bad?"

"If this Camp food wasn't so unfulfilling I wouldn't have eaten so much," was Bones' reply. Jim seemed to consider that before he shook his head and grinned.

"No, you liked it! Your reputation as the grumpiest person ever has been ruined! How will we live?"

Bones was saved from answering by the movie call. He helped several of the bigger boys stack all the chairs and move all the tables out of the way so they could settle on the ground for the movie. Jim brought his sleeping bag for him and they settled down in the centre of the room with their friends. The grumpy boy really didn't pay much attention to the movie, instead putting all his focus on sneaking some of Scotty's popcorn.

When it finished and they went back to their cabin, Jim stayed up talking with Scotty. Bones and Keenser were out like lights. However Bones did have to get up in the middle of the night and go to the toilet because his gut was seriously hurting him.

"Damn Camp food," he muttered into the dark bathroom.


	6. Orienteering

**Chapter 6 - Orienteering**

Pavel snuck up the ladder and peeked over the edge of the top bunk, grinning evilly at Hikaru's sleeping face. He crawled over the edge and leant over his sleeping friend, moving down so their faces were inches apart. He took a deep breath.

"Good morning Hikaru! How did you sleep?!" he screamed.

"AAARGH!" the Japanese-American boy shrieked and sat up with such force that Pavel almost fell off the bunk. He looked around wildly and his eyes found Pavel. "Pasha, why would you do that? That's so mean?"

The Russian giggled and clambered down the ladder. It was worth it just to see Hikaru with his bedhead: hair sticking up in every direction. Pavel was quite an evil little child. He snickered as Hikaru dragged himself out of bed and fell down the ladder, landing heavily with a muffled curse.

"Breakfast is in fifteen minutes," Pavel said helpfully.

Hikaru stared. "I hate you _so much_."

"Lowe you too Hikaru," Pavel pouted. He sat on the edge of his bed and tied the laces to his joggers while Hikaru stumbled around as he tried to get dressed. Ayel was already down at the dining hall as his twin had collected him ten minutes ago.

When Hikaru was dressed (although not very well; his hair was a mess and his shirt collar stuck up) they went to the dining hall, arriving just as the doors opened. Tired-looking students milled around outside, shuffling into something that resembled a line.

Breakfast was sausages, hash browns and fried eggs. Pavel almost squealed in delight when he saw hash browns; he loved them with a passion. They got their food and sat with Scotty and Keenser again and Spock joined them a minute later, his plate mysteriously missing its sausage.

Hikaru was telling Scotty of his wake-up call. "So Pasha is screaming in my face asking me if I'm awake and I almost knock him off the top bunk. The idiot could have fallen and hurt himself."

"It's vorth it," Pavel sniggered. "I got to vatch him try and crawl from his bed and he fell to ze floor! You should hawe seen him!"

"Ach, tha' woulda bin a good show, aye?" Scotty chuckled, sipping his juice. "It woulda bin grand."

"He looked like a teeny little vorm." Pavel stabbed his sausage on the end of his fork and waggled it in the air to emphasise his point. Hikaru snorted into his food.

"I was not!" he said indignantly.

Jim and Bones sat on Scotty's other side, both looking a little tired. Scotty glared at them. "Oh, so ye finally turn up? Where the hell were ye?"

Bones spoke up, his gaze on Jim filled with venom as he stabbed his food. "This smart-ass decided to sneak out of the room at five in the morning and see if he could get to the girls' cabins. I knew that if he was caught our whole group would suffer because he's probably be sent home, so I followed him and did my best to keep him out of trouble. Naturally, he led me on a jolly good chase all around the Camp so we didn't know breakfast was out until we came this way."

Jim sighed. "It so wasn't worth getting outta bed at five. I get up at _seven_, so five is a stretch for me."

The banter went back and forth but Pavel ignored it and ate his food instead. He finished and wiped his face with his sleeve before putting his cutlery neatly on his plate. Normally he would be up for seconds, but the hash browns had run out so there really was no point.

"Here."

Pavel glanced to his left as Hikaru pushed over his plate. The Russian's eyes widened. "But Hikaru… you should eat your hash brown! It's yours!"

Hikaru grinned cheekily. "You'll need all the food you can get to be taller than me one day." They giggled and Pavel tucked into the not-so-warm hash brown, savouring the flavour and feeling so touched that Hikaru had given up the best part of his breakfast for _him_.

After breakfast they were given ten minutes to clean up and get their gear together for activities. For some groups this meant changing into old clothes for raft-building or canoeing. For Group 1 and 2 this meant putting on hats, sunglasses and joggers, filling up their water bottles and making sure they had snacks for morning tea. They had orienteering and that would take the whole morning until lunch, so they would be having morning tea on the go.

Pavel and Hikaru walked with Jim and Spock to the grassy expanse where they were to meet up with their group and be given an explanation of the task. The Russian was a little nervous at this. He remembered how bad their teamwork had been with the raft-building and hoped that there wouldn't be a scramble for dominance with this task. The past three had been a breeze compared to the first one and Pavel worried that Jim would go into dominance-mode. It was something the blonde boy would do, no doubt about it.

The four boys joined the others and waited for the girls, as they would be the last to arrive. When they deigned to show up, Pike cleared his throat and handed Jim and Khan a map each, a compass and a folded piece of paper.

"This one is a race," he told the fourteen children. "Both teams have a different route to follow and there are written clues that lead you on your way. The paper you boys have is the first clue and will lead you to the next." He clapped his hands together. "There's a prize at the end and the first team to bring it back here wins. Good luck!"

Group 2 immediately peeled away, heading wherever Khan told them to go. Group 1 huddled around the note as Jim read it out.

"Begin at the water hose and walk one-hundred paces south." He frowned and peered around. "Well, there's the hose." They crossed to the hose and Jim stared blankly at the compass. "How, um, how exactly do you…?"

"Keptain, let me," Pavel said without thinking. Jim looked at him in surprise and blushed.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he muttered awkwardly, handing the compass over. Pavel nestled it in his hand and turned it so the red hand was resting over the 'N'. He pointed east and moved off slowly, counting his steps under his breath. Jim stayed by his side and their counting moulded into one voice.

The group finished their one-hundred steps and had completely crossed the grassy field. Pavel stared at the metal box stuck on a round tree.

"Let's look for the second clue," Nyota exclaimed, strutting up to the tree. She poked around the box, peering underneath and letting out a triumphant yell. "There's laminated paper tucked behind here! I can't quite…" She pulled her hand away and groaned. "It's stuck there pretty well."

Pavel stepped forward and slid his small hands behind the box, retrieving the paper easily. He handed it to Jim.

"Seventy steps east."

Again, Pavel examined the compass and determined the correct path to go. Jim counted the steps and they arrived at a normal-looking stump. As Jim and Bones poked around for the clue, Pavel quickly showed Hikaru, Spock, Scotty and Nyota how to use a compass. It was fairly easy to learn and they understood what to do by the time Bones returned with the clue.

This time it was a drawing. It wasn't very good, as Pavel could detect with his superb artistry skills, but it depicted a green box with 60S written on the top. They stared dumbfounded at the picture. Jim looked at Pike, who had been shadowing them with a map folded between his hands.

"Any help?" he asked.

"Nope," Pike shook his head, "I'm just here for the ride."

Bones rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I get the feeling that the key is '60S', though I don't get what." To their surprise, Spock spoke up.

"They are directions," he said quietly. "Sixty paces south; the 'S' stands for 'south'."

"Da, zat makes sense!" Pavel grinned. "Ve should find a box sixty paces south!" Feeling cheerful, he marched on in that direction, lifting up his hat as it slipped down to cover his eyes for a second.

Sure enough, there was a box waiting for them. Jim opened it excitedly and pulled out their next clue. "Ten steps north, twenty-five east, find my clue within a wooden beast." He grinned. "What a creative poem! Pavel, which way is west?"

Pavel turned to Nyota and held the compass out. "Vhich vay?" he asked.

She frowned at the compass and gently rotated it in his palm. "I think it's… that way." She pointed and Pavel looked at the compass.

"Zat is correct," he told her, grinning. Now it wasn't just up to him to provide directions. If Nyota could do it then Hikaru, Spock and Scotty should be able to.

Jim shifted a little uncomfortably at that. "Can they read a compass too?" he asked uneasily.

"Da, I shoved zem."

"You _shoved _them?" Jim's eyes were wide with disbelief and that confused Pavel. What was he shocked about?"

Hikaru let out a strange noise, like a squeak. "He meant that he _showed _us. It's just his accent."

Pavel blushed. "Da, zat is vhat I meant."

Spock raised a small hand. "We should get going. We cannot afford to waste time."

Jim opened his mouth and closed it again, his ears going pink. Pavel wondered what was going through his head, but dismissed the notion. They probably weren't going to be the best of friends after this, so they should just cooperate while they could.

The group and Pike followed the directions, moving in single-file as the scrub got thicker. They weren't travelling along any path, but marching through knee-high messes and tangles of bushes and fallen branches. Jim, walking behind him, lost his footing once and almost knocked the young Russian over, but Bones, who was third in line, managed to grab the back of his shirt in time and pull him back.

When they reached their destination there was nothing remarkable about it to suggest a clue, so they split up and searched the immediate area. Scotty found something engraved in a tree, saying 'S+W', but they dismissed it. Then Bones found another carving on the opposite side of the tree that said '40+15'.

Spock was the one who figured it out. "S stands for south and W stands for west. The 40 means forty steps south, and the 15 means fifteen steps west."

Once he said it, it seemed so obvious. Pavel slapped himself in the face and immediately began to figure out which way they had to go. As they walked, Pike seemed to be impressed at how quickly they were progressing, but he remained silent and gradually relied on his map less to determine their location. Pavel began to feel uneasy at that. Surely a teacher would be always on their guard, because they were children after all and children were prone to making mistakes.

Things started going wrong when they misread a clue. Instead of going ten steps north they went east. That puzzled them, as they couldn't find the clue, and by the time they realised something was wrong they had all forgotten which direction they'd come from.

"I zink ve are lost," Pavel said in a small voice.

"Ya think?" Jim snapped angrily. He ran a hand through his hair. "Are we _sure _that no one remembers which way we came?"

In unison, the other six shook their heads. Pike checked his map worriedly. "I've got all the locations marked," the man said, "but I can't tell where we are." He mouthed a curse. "A fat lot of good this map is."

"Have ye go' a phone?" Scotty asked.

"Even if I did I couldn't use it. I'm with Optus and I don't get reception out here."

Pavel had seen this coming. When Pike had stopped checking the map he should have _said _something, maybe ask that the teacher not fall into a sense of false security. Well it was too late now and they had to figure a way back.

Jim scratched his head and smiled. "How about we shout? Someone's bound to hear us." He cupped his hands around his mouth and screamed, "ECHO!"

His voice echoed alright but there was no answering cry. Nyota sat down and sulked. "Well we might as well eat," she said sullenly, "and figure something out." The others were quick to agree and sat cross-legged around her. Pike had moved away from them, his footsteps crunching in the leaves, but now he turned back at their expectant faces.

"Oh, alright," he sighed, making his way over to them. Two thick tree branches were in the way, bent over the ground at thigh-height, and he awkwardly began to step over them, unslinging his backpack and leaning forward as he did so. This shifted his balance ever so slightly and, from his position with one foot lifted off the ground and the other balancing on its toes, the backpack pulled him forward unexpectedly. Scotty cried out a warning as Pike stumbled forward, his torso bending over the branches, the backpack pulling him over painfully. Just before he hit the ground his progress was stopped and he gasped in pain. A very audible _SNAP _rang out.

"Get him!" Bones snapped, scrambling forward. He grabbed Pike's shoulders and yanked the man, earning a cry of agony.

"My foot," Pike moaned.

Jim catapulted over the branches and pulled Pike's ankle from where it was lodged between the two branches. With his foot free Pike fell forward once more, but Bones was there to stop him. Scotty helped the other boy lower the injured man to the ground gently and Pike leant against the branches, breathing heavily. Pavel felt his blood go cold as he saw Pike's boot pointing off at a strange angle. He squeaked and grabbed Hikaru's hand, squeezing it in fright. Hikaru squeezed back.

Bones seemed to take charge. "Have you got a kit of some kind?" he demanded.

"In the bag…"

Grabbing the forgotten backpack, Bones rifled through it and pulled out a basic medical kit. He opened it and ordered Scotty to take off Pike's boot, which the Scotsman did quickly. It was difficult to ignore the lines of pain etched into Pike's face, though the man didn't utter a sound.

"Hey," Nyota said quietly, "Pavel, look this way." He turned to her and stared into soft brown eyes. "We've got to find a way back. Looking at the injury, I'll bet he's got a broken ankle and it'll get bad if we don't get back to the Camp." She hesitated. "Now, we don't know exactly where we are, but if we looked at the map we could figure out a pattern."

"You are right," Spock said suddenly. He stood and inched towards Pike's seated form, bending down and swiping the map from next to the backpack. He re-joined them and spread it over his knee. "An initial inspection indicates that we mainly go south and east. Furthermore," his face lightened, "the lake is west. From there it goes north. The Camp should be north."

"That's providing we haven't gone above the Camp," Jim interrupted, flopping next to Spock. He glanced at the other three. "Bones splinted his ankle and made him take some pills. He should be right for now, but we have to get back fast."

"There are no markers above the Camp; they are all south," Spock said.

"We should try and backtrack," Jim cut in, acting as if the black-haired boy hadn't spoken.

Nyota flared immediately. "That'll take too much time! If we go west to the lake and then north we can find the other groups!"

"Waiting here could do the trick," Jim argued. "They'll figure out something went wrong and come and find us."

"That might take ages and besides, we're not on the designated path." Nyota jabbed the map to emphasise her point.

It was too much for Pavel, but someone got there before him. "That's enough!" Spock shouted (though it came out more like a squeak). "We're not getting anywhere with you two arguing!" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Pavel is the one with the compass, so he says what we do. We can't afford to wait. Sir needs immediate attention."

Bones joined them, lugging the backpack behind him. "You're right, he does. We need the quickest option." He dumped it in front of them. "Eat quickly and we'll be on our way." He then joined Scotty and Pike, sitting next to the grimacing man. Pavel noted that they had some fruit and biscuits in front of them that they were wolfing down.

"So Pavel, what do you say?" Jim asked.

Pavel sat his mouth in a grim line. "Ve must vork as a team," he said. "I say ve trawel vest and zen north."

Jim nodded. "Scotty and Bones can help Pike until they get tired, then Hikaru and I can take over."

"I'll carry the backpack," Nyota offered, biting into a mandarin slice.

"I will carry it when you need a rest," Spock added.

"And I vill nawigate," Pavel concluded. Jim glanced at Pike again and looked back at Pavel. The Russian smiled bravely and stood, brandishing the compass. "Let's go! Ve must get back to Camp and sawe ze day!"

It was going to be difficult, the young boy thought. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had gone wrong and they were acting like adults rather than children. He hoped that they were more adult-like right now, because children made mistakes.


	7. Group 1

**Chapter 7 – Group 1**

Heading west was the best option they had. Nyota readjusted the backpack straps on her shoulder and stared at the ground in front of her to make sure the path was clear. Pavel and Spock walked in front of her, making sure they went due west. Hikaru was behind her, ready to be a pillow if Pike fell forward. Behind him was their teacher, his arms slung around Scotty's and Bones' shoulders, both boys holding their own against the man's immense weight. Jim brought up the rear, occasionally propelling Pike forward when he faltered.

Walking on one leg must be hard, she mused. How badly she wanted to talk and break the silence, but they were in no position to talk anymore. They couldn't afford to be distracted.

She would admit that sitting and waiting would have been their best option at the start. Then Pike had caught his foot between two branches and it had snapped, eliminating any chance at waiting. They needed to _move _and get him to safety. The bruises on his ankle had looked horrendous when she'd glimpsed them (when he took his shoe off) and every time she closed her eyes she pictured the swollen flesh on her own skin, restricting her movements.

Now they were walking. It was nothing heroic or even glamorous. It was boring. The backpack was digging into her shoulders and her feet were tiring from walking around all morning. Rest sounded amazing, but they couldn't afford to rest, and Nyota _wouldn't _rest. She was a strong-willed girl and she didn't want to give in to weakness.

Spock sniffed the air. "We're near the lake. I can smell it."

Nyota sniffed too, but didn't detect anything. "What can you smell?"

"There's a kind of… fresh smell. I don't know how to explain it." He was about to continue when Pavel let out a cry of delight.

"Here ve are! Ve are close!" He turned ninety degrees and kept moving along the water's edge, his shoes squelching in the mud. Nyota was glad she had worn old shoes.

Now they had mud to contend with. Several times along the waterline the mud gave way to dense undergrowth and they had to move around it. The late-morning sun flared blindingly off the lake's surface, forcing the children to squint.

"Hold up," Jim said suddenly. They stopped in the mud and he changed with Scotty and Bones, allowing the red-faced, sweating boys a respite. The girl felt a glow of warmth for the boy she hated.

Spock tapped her shoulder. "I'll take the bag." She was all too happy to hand it over until he sagged under its weight, spluttering slightly. "No! No, it's okay. I've got it." He let out a puff of air and straightened his back, going cross-eyed as his glasses slipped down his nose. Nyota was quick to stop them, noting that his sweaty face was the cause of the slipperiness. He gave her a weak smile and moved behind her, trudging heavily.

Walking was easier now, though she was getting very tired. She comforted herself with the thought that Jim and Hikaru had it worse than her: they had to support a full-grown man. As they moved across more mud she squinted at the water ahead, fighting the glare. Was it…?

"I see people," she gasped, shading her eyes. "Yes! There are people in canoes! We're going the right way."

Pike let out a sigh of relief and his eyes fluttered closed for a second. Bones looked back at him worriedly. "Do you need painkillers? I can give you more-"

"No," the teacher said forcefully. "Those ones are very weak, and we're close enough. I can hang on." He gritted his teeth and put more weight on his good leg, crushing Jim in the process. The blonde boy didn't complain, much to Nyota's surprise.

The people were closer but no one noticed the sweaty, muddy, and downright messy group. Pavel stopped looking at the compass and walked faster, breaking into a run as the raft-builders came into view. He shot past the shocked children (who were at the testing stage of their rafts) who looked even more dumbfounded at the ragtag group that followed him.

The group leaders, Thomas Harewood and Hannity Brackett, raced up. "Do you want us to help?" the man asked.

"No," Pike murmured. "The boys are doing just fine. Stay with your groups." The two watched the six children and one adult slowly move away to the first aid cabin.

Pavel was already there, gabbling to the nurse in charge. She took one look at the group and her eyes widened at Pike's muddy ankle. "Sit," she ordered. "The rest of you wait outside."

They followed her orders and sat on the steps outside, exhausted. But one question was nagging at Nyota… "Where did you learn to splint?" she asked Bones.

"My mum is a doctor in the country. She used to take me out on jobs with her and teach me things. She had to stop when her boss found out." Bones sighed and rubbed his face. "At least we're back now. Hopefully there's no lasting damage."

"We can't have been out there for more than three hours," Hikaru sighed. "We were there at eight and it's not lunch yet. Lunch is at eleven. His ankle wasn't broken for that long."

"We shoulda bin payin' attention," Scotty said hollowly. "If on'y tha clues weren't so vague we coulda figured ou' tha righ' path and found wha' we were supposed to be lookin' for."

"Oh yeah… it was a competition." Nyota laughed humourlessly. "I guess Group 2 won overall. We only had two wins and they'll have three by lunchtime."

"Food…" the little Russian boy sighed. Everyone looked at him and he blushed.

Bones looked angry. "That bloody Camp food kept me up half the night!"

"Yeah, the toilet was his new best friend," Jim teased. Was it just her, or did Jim look disappointed when Bones didn't bat an eye at the jibe?

"Camp food plays with your intestines because they use bad ingredients. Don't blame me if all of yous fall in love with a toilet in the next few days." The bell for lunch rang and he glared. "Heed my warning."

The cabin door opened and the nurse looked down at them, collapsed on the steps. "Your teacher will be fine. You go have lunch and get cleaned up."

"Yes ma'am," Jim said sweetly, standing and leading the way to the dining hall, the rest of his group falling behind him. Nyota felt more warmth for the blonde boy at how calm and collected he was. He had the makings of a good leader.

They arrived at the dining hall and were caught in the rush for lunch. Seven tired children accepted whatever was put on their plates and sat together at the end of a long table. They were too weary to question why Nyota was sitting with them rather than her own friends. She just couldn't be bothered seeking them out, so she sat comfortably between Scotty and Hikaru.

Lunch turned out to be hamburgers. Spock had a vegetarian patty, but this time he didn't get smack from Jim for having it. Actually, they didn't really say anything. They had talked themselves out in front of the first aid cabin and were happy to sit there and eat. Regaining their strength seemed the smart choice of action.

Their peace was interrupted when a smug Khan passed by them and nudged Jim, knocking his face into his plate. The blonde boy wiped lettuce from his face and peered blearily at the tall boy.

"I would like to say that I'm happy for you," Khan snickered. "You're the biggest losers I've ever come across. Can't you _read _a compass?"

"We can," Jim yawned, "but we can't read clues."

"Is that why you slackers are so late?"

"No, Pike broke his ankle," Bones said shortly. Nyota smirked because even Khan wasn't stupid enough to pay out a teacher.

"We had ta ge' him back," Scotty continued. "He's in tha medic tent righ' now."

Khan opened and closed his mouth before curling it into a sneer. "You're still losers."

"At least we're losers who can work together," Jim said mildly. "You can't even decide who uses the _shower_, while we could decide on a course of action to get Pike back safely. I think we win."

"We won."

"We're a _team_. You're a dysfunctional twat."

Khan couldn't think of a snappy retort and stormed off. Nyota stared at Jim. "We're a team?"

"Yeah, we're a team," he sighed. He looked down at his empty plate. "The nurse told us to clean up. Let's meet up at the first aid cabin in thirty minutes. That should give us time to pack as well." They all nodded their assent and left the dining hall, Nyota branching off to her cabin that she shared with Gaila, Carol and Christine. It was empty, as the other girls were at lunch, so she was able to shower and dress in peace.

She felt so delightfully refreshed after her shower and slightly more awake. Towelling her body dry, she selected converse, jeans and a t-shirt with the Eiffel Tower on the front and pulled them on. Her hair was tied in a damp ponytail and she got started with organising her things, extracting clothes and other items from the mess on the floor. The other girls really were messy. She gathered her lose bits of clothes and stuffed them in her bag, filling it almost to the brim before remembering her bedding. So she had to rearrange everything to fit in the sheet and her sleeping bag. It took several minutes to get everything in and she cast her gaze around the cabin to make sure she had everything.

Her bag was packed. She grabbed a bag of chocolates and tucked them under her arm before heading out for the first aid cabin.

The others were already there when she arrived, looking much cleaner than they had before. She sat with them and offered out the chocolates to the grateful boys. They gobbled them up without a second thought.

"So," Jim said, "I spoke to my mum and asked if I could have a sleepover this weekend. She said yes."

Hikaru blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked my mum if the six of you could come over to a sleepover on the weekend, as in tomorrow. She said yes."

Nyota was shocked. "_All _of us, like me too?"

"Yes!" He smiled wanly. "We're a good team after all. I'd like to keep it that way."

They were only children, Nyota wanted to say, but she couldn't. The warmth was back and she found herself smiling at the blonde boy. "I'd be happy to come over. What about the rest of you?"

"My parents will be pleased that I have friends," Spock said quietly, peering at Jim through his thin-lensed glasses.

"Dad'll let me," Bones said dismissively.

"Keenser's headin' ou' for tha weekend, so I'm free," Scotty said cheerfully.

"I vill ask my parents," Pavel declared.

"I will too!" Hikaru declared.

A bell rang out and they all looked upwards at nothing in particular. "What's that bell for?" Jim wondered.

"That's the bell to tell you to get your things and meet at the entrance with bags so we can get out of here." They stared in delight as Pike limped out of the first aid cabin, a crutch under one arm.

"You're okay!" Pavel cried, leaping up and wrapping his arms around Pike's waist. The man chuckled and hugged him back one-handed.

"Of course I am, thanks to you spry chickens." He grinned. "You heard the bell. Let's go! I'm sure you all want to go home and get ready for that sleepover."

They shared a look and rushed off to get their bags. When Nyota reached the entrance she dropped her bag with Gaila's, Carol's and Christine's and stood with the gossiping girls. Her eyes wandered and she saw Jim surrounded by the rest of their group. He held a piece of paper and they were each scribbling on it.

She turned to her friends. "I'll be back." She went over to Jim and accepted the pencil from Hikaru, proceeding to write her number. "I'm starting to like you," she said stonily.

Jim flashed a cocky smile. "Don't worry Nyota. I only want to be friends with you. You're too scary to go out with." Before this Camp she would have bit his head off for such a comment, but now she took it as a compliment.

"Thank you," she said, warmth entering her voice. She looked at the rest of them. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"I'll call you," Jim said in a low voice as she turned. Smiling, she re-joined her friends. Gaila peered at her suspiciously.

"What was that?" the redhead asked.

"It's a get-well note for Pike. Jim asked me to sign it." Nyota couldn't say the truth because Gaila would go insane if she learned that the dark-skinned girl was friends with her ex. It was a very delicate situation.

"What happened?" Carol asked anxiously.

"I'll tell you on the bus."

Alexander Marcus stood in front of the students and they quickly gave him their attention. "We have the results of the winning groups," he said, his voice projecting. "Group 2…"

After that, all the other groups didn't matter. Nyota was disappointed that they had lost, but they had learned something more important. Winning wasn't of any significance unless it was won by the team and not just one or two individuals. Group 2 relied on Khan and Nero for their win. Group 1 had learned a lesson: teamwork was better than winning. Just winning doesn't make friends, but teamwork does. She felt warm as she thought this.

Before the Camp she didn't know any of her group and disliked a few of them. If they'd won and remained as they were before, she wouldn't feel any better. They may have lost, but they had made bonds during the duration of the Camp that Group 2 would never have.

The buses arrived, Marcus finished speaking and there was a rush to stow away their bags and get a seat. Nyota sat with Gaila and the redhead chattered on about something or other. The dark-skinned girl twisted in her seat and smiled at what she saw. Jim was sitting next to Spock, discussing a comic that the black-haired boy held. Bones and Scotty were in front of them with earphones in, listening to an iPod that Scotty held in his lap. Across the aisle from them sat Hikaru and Pavel, the young Russian with his head on his friend's shoulder as he tried to fall asleep.

Nyota faced the front and turned her head to look at Gaila. "How did you enjoy Camp?" she asked.

Gaila smiled and launched into a lengthy explanation of the experience. Nyota listened, content to converse with her friend all the way home. It had really been a good Camp; very worthwhile. Needless to say, after the weekend her friendship circle grew.


End file.
